Oil-burner



V. H. AND J. H. T. MILLS.

0|L BURNER.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. I4. 1920.

Patented Aug. 16, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- @II-wif 47 #7, Saumur' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VI'RGIL H. MILLS AND JOHN H. T. MILLS, OF HUBBARD, TEXAS.

orL-BURNER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 16, 1921.

Application led January 14, 1920. Serial No. 351,375.

To all @07mm t may @0n-cem.'

Be it known that we. VIRGIL H. MILLS and JOHN H. T. MILLS, citizens of the United States7 residing at I-Iubbard, in the county of Hill and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oilurners, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved apparatus for and method of consuming liquid fuel and particularly heavy oils or hydrocarbons which have heretofore been burned only with great difficulty. There are various heavy oils or hydrocarbons which may be obtained at an extremely low cost, such for example as the heavy product known as fuel oil. residuum, and the like but which cannot be successfully consumed in'an ordinary liquid fuel burner although we have found that they constitute excellent fuels when burned in accordance with the method of the present invention.

It is, therefore. an object of the present invention to provide means whereby fuel of this nature may be successfully consumed in an economical and inexpensive manner.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for vaporizing the liquid fuel or converting the same into a gas or mixture of gases and for simultaneously igniting the gases at their point of generation so that the gases are consumed while in their nascent state and are thus prevented from cooling or condensing, prior to ignition, to such extent as to interfere with their complete combustion.-

Another object of the invention is to provide thermal means for instantaneously cracking or breaking up the particles of liquid fuel supplied thereto and for burning the same into a gas or mixture of gases and to effect combustion of these gases at the instant they are generated.

Another object of the invention is to provide inl an apparatus constructed to consume liquid fuel in the manner above referred to, 'an arrangement whereby air, for the purpose of supporting combustion, may be most effectively supplied during the operation of the apparatus and in such a manner as to insure of complete combustion of the gaseous fuel under the most favorable conditions.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a perspective view of a fur- Fig. 3 is a vertical front to rear sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 illustrating a modified form of the invention.

The present invention may find embodiment in various types and sizes of furnaces such for example as hot air and boiler furnaces, or it may in fact find embodiment in large stoves and while the description which is to follow deals chiefly with the invention as applied to a furnace, it is to be understood that the drawings are to be considered as merely illustrative as possible embodiments of the invention and that various modifications may be made in the apparatus employed without in any way departing from the spirit of the inventi n.

In the drawings the invention is illustrated as employed in connection with a furnace which is indicated in general by the numeral l, the furnace flue being indicated by the numeral 2, and the usual damper within the flue being indicated by the numeral 3. The apparatus embodying the present invention includes in its structure a combined generating and combustion chamber which is indicated in general by the numeral 4 and which, in that form of the invention shown in Figs. l, 2 and 3 of the drawings, comprises a bottom 5, a top 6, and a front 7, which latter is preferably rounded in a vertical direction although it may be of some other shape if desired. This chamber is secured at its open rear side to the front wall of the furnace l and this wall of the furnace is provided with a draft opening 8 of anydesired dimensions through which the burning gases generated and ignited within the generating and combustion chamber may be delivered into the furnace l. In the drawings the generating and combustion chamber is illustrated as formed separate from the furnace and secured to the front thereof but it is to be understood that this chamber may be located within the furnace or it may in fact form an integral part of the said furnace. Preferably, in order that access may be gained to the interior of the said chamber 4, the top 6 thereof is hinged as at 9 to the upper side of the front 7 so that it may be swung upwardly in a forward direction for the purpose stated.

'Within the chamber 4 there is arranged a thermal flashing means which in that form of the invention shown inFigs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings comprises a cylindrical drum or shell' 10 supported upon a shaft 11 which is preferably rotatably mounted and, in the operation of the apparatus, is in fact continuously slowly rotated although it will be understood that this drum may be given an oscillatory or back' and forth turning' motion instead of a continuous rotary motion. However, it is, as above stated, preferable that the drum be continuously rotated and in order that this maybe effected, the shaft V11 is at one end extended through one of the side walls of the chamber4` and has Hired a pulley 12 over which is trained a driven from any suitable motor, as

upon it belt 13 for exam lean electric motor` indicated bT the numeral 14. It will4 be understood that this is only one of many means which may be employed for the purpose of rotating the said shaft 11. The drum 11 is preferably mounted' either immediately above or opposite the upper portion of the opening 8 and relatively close to thev rear side of the com bustion chamber and the front wall of the furnace. This drum also preferably extends substantially the entire width of the said chamber so that its ends are located close to the side walls: of the chamber and it' will be understood that the drum may be made of anysuitable material and of any desired construction. I

In vorder that liquid fuel may be discharged onto the surface of the drum 10, va drip pipe 15 is4 arranged within the chamber 4 to extend' longitudinally above the drum, this pipe being located above and to the rear of the upper side of the drum and parallel tothe axisA thereof, and being formed with a number of openings or jets'16' through which thel fuel may be discharged 1n drops or fine streams.

Between its ends l the pipe 15 is provided. with an inlet branch 17 whichextends through the top 6 of the chamber 4 and is provided" with a funnelshaped mouth 18. A fuel supply pipe 19 is arranged to discharge into the mouthy of Vthe branch 1K7 as clearly shown inFigs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings, and this pipeleads from a supply tank or reservoir 20 supported in any suitable manner above thesa-id chamber 4.

In the operation of the apparatus, fuel is allowedto flow from thetanlr or reservoir 201 through the pipe 19` and into the feed pipe 15 from which it is discharged through the openings 16 in drops or vsmall streams onto the surfaceof the drum 10 which has been initially heated and which is kept rotating at a* slow rate ofv speed. -As the fuel strikes' the intensely heated surface of the drum, it is immediately converted into a gas or a mixture of gases and these gases are instantly ignited 'substantially-at the point at which they are generated. The flue 2, of course, creates a draft through the furnace and through the generating and combustion chamber, and air is admitted into thevsaid chamberv throughl a series of openings 21 which are formed in the top 6 in a trans versely extending row located above and parallel to the upper surface of the drum and a suitable distance in advance of the feed pipe 15. Y Because of the draft created, the burning gases will be swept, by the currentsof air entering through the openings 21, around the forward side and beneath the under side of. the drum and through the opening S and into the furnace 1. In this manner the body of the drum is intensely heated and is maintained in this condition at all times during the operation of the apparatus and inasmuch as all portions of the surface of the .drum are equally intensely heated, and the drunt is rotated, the heating ofthe drum will be continuously'equalized and. the discharged fuelwill atall times fall upon an intensely heated portion of the sur face of the drumI so as to be` instantly con verted into or mixture of gases and instantly ignited substantially at they point of generation of the said gases.

A baille plate 22 is arranged within the rear side of the chamber 4 above the openingv 8 and at its lower edgeyindicated by the numeral 23, touches or substantially touches the periphery of the' drum 10 so that there can be nodraft rearwardly around the upper side1 ofthe' drum, the draft and burning gases passing solely around the upper side, front, and loaver side of the drum and through the openin'gS.. rlhe plate 22 serves not'only as a baille toinsure of the currents of air and burning'` gases talringthc course stated but` it also serves an additional purpose which will now be explainedylt has before been pointed; out that the apparatus isparticularly designed for burning heavy fuels whiclrhave notheretofore been successfully employed and one of the reasons why such fuels have not been generally used is that unlessheated to such a degree of temperature as to convert them into gases at the time of their ignition, they' will congeal or form deposits which-are not combustible andwhi'ch interfere with. the burningof fresh4 fuel. Evenunder the best conditions obtainable there may attimesflte slight deposits of a powdery residuel and in order that this may be' preventedfroml accumulatingfup'on the surface of! they drum the lower edge 23 of? the baffle plate 221 is as reo posits will be scraped oif and thus prevented from accumulating to such an extent as to interfere with maintaining the drum at an intense heat.

In that form of the invention shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, the furnace proper is indicated in general by the numeral 24 and the same is provided in its front wall with an opening 25 corresponding to the opening 8. The combined generating and combustion chamber is in this figure indicated b v the numeral 26 and is mounted upon the front wall of the furnace and is in communication at its lower end and rear side with the opening 25. In this form of the invention the thermal flashing element indicated in general by the numeral 27, is in the nature of a drum, the body 28 of which is cylindrical. this drum being provided with a closed shallow substantially conical top 29. A shaft 30 is fitted axially through the drum and its top and rotatably journaled in a suitable bearing 3l upon the top wall of the chamber 26 which wall is indicated by the numeral 32. A pulley or other suitable gear element 33 may be secured upon the upper end of the shaft exteriorlv of the chamber 26 to provide means whereby the shaft may be rotated so as to impart corresponding movement to the drum. The numeral 34 indicates a drip nozzle having a funnel shaped mouth 35 to receive the fuel delivered from a supply pipe 36. the nozzle 34 being fitted through the top 32 of the chamber 26 and being arranged to discharge onto the upper surface of the conical top 29 of the drum as clearly shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. One or more draft openings 37 are provided in the said top 32 so that air drawn into the chamber 26 will sweep over the forward side of this top and down around the drum as will also the flames from the burning gas thus maintaining the drum at an intense heat. As the drum is constantly rotated, it will present the same advantages as does the drum of the previously described form of the invention.

lllhile the apparatus of the present invention is primarily designed for the burning of liquid fuel, it will be understood that it may likewise be employed in burning various kinds of powdered fuel such for eX- ample as coal, sawdust and the like.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

l. In apparatus of the class described, a generating and combustion chamber, a moving thermal iiashing element in said chamber, means for supplying fuel to the said element. and means for admitting air to the chamber in currents Howing downwardly over and above the said element.

2. In apparatus of the class described, a generating and combustion chamber, a continuously rotating thermal flashing element in said chamber, means for supplying fuel to the said element. and means for admitting air to the chamber in currents flowing downwardly over and above the said element.

3. In apparatus of the class described, a generating and combustion chamber, a revoluble thermal-hashing drum within the chamber. means for delivering fuel to the surface of the drum. and means for admitting air to the chamber in currents flowing directly downwardly over and above the surface of the drum.

4. In apparatus of the class described. a. combustion chamber having an outlet for the products of combustion and having an air inlet. a rotatable drum mounted in the said chamber` between the inlet and outlet, means closing the space between the inlet and outlet at one side of the drum, and means for delivering fuel to the surface of the drum.

5. In apparatus of the class described, a combustion chamber having an outlet for the products of combustion and provided also with an air inlet, a rotatable drum within the chamber between the inlet and outlet, means for delivering fuel to the surface of the drum, and means for clearing the surface of the drum of deposits.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures.

VIRGIL H. MILLS. [Ls] JOHN H. rr. MILLS. [1.. a] 

